In Our Time of Need
by Eternal Exodus
Summary: In Konoha's darkest times, can a team be reunited? Or will lies and betrayal tear them apart? Sequel to Noboru Hyuuga. Rated for violence and mild cursing. Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I sure wish I did!
1. Dark Times

Anri shuddered at the screams of the people of Konoha. It had been fifteen years since that day. The worst day in the history of Konoha, and the day she lost the only crush that she ever had. She stood in the Uchiha Mansion, a stern look on her face.

She had developed into a beautiful, strong, confident woman. She usually smiled in public, but nothing could stop her from feeling a deep pain in her chest. Her broken heart left her in emotional and physical pain.

Time had healed the wound, but also left a scar. She cried when she thought of the Hyuuga that she had fallen for. His Konoha headband was hidden in her pillow, and, before her husband woke up, she would take it out and gently kiss it. The way he kissed her before he left.

Her husband understood her pain. They were in and arranged marriage, thanks to Orochimaru. The first prodigy that was born would be taken from them, so they never had children. They had come to like each other, but not love. Never love. They still had to act like one of those couples that were head-over-heels for each other.

She felt strong arms wrap around her. She smiled. Once again, he was trying to console her. She felt his hot breath against her neck. "I know it's hard, but you have to stop thinking about him. Noboru's probably dead now," he said.

She turned to look into his dark green eyes. His father and mother's eye colors had mixed into that color. His father's dark hair and his mother's light her had formed a deep red, kind of like the Kazekage's.

Samaru Uchiha. It was too hard to believe. They both had deep emotional scars from being separated from their true loves. Well, he still got to see Tami. They even had a child.

Anri smiled at the five-year-old that stumbled towards her. "Mommy," the child said, "The bad men are here. They're scaring me." Anri frowned. Although the child wasn't hers, only Kiba, Tami, Shikamaru, Samaru, and her knew that it wasn't. Still, no one tried to take her away, because she couldn't use mind techniques. She was viewed as a failed experiment. Tami tried to visit as much as possible, but the child still couldn't know about its mother until it was older.

Anri kneeled down. "You don't listen to those 'bad men', ok Tani?" she said as she tickled the child. Tani giggled and ran up to her room. Anri walked over to the door. Two sound ninja stood there. "What do you want?" she snapped.

They looked at each other. "This is the first day of a new month. Any news?" one of them asked. Anri scowled. "Of course not! Can't you see? We don't want to have anymore children. We already had one and that was the requirement!" she snapped and tried to slam the door.

One ninja stopped the slamming door. "Orochimaru is impatient. If the Uchiha prodigy is not born, you do know what the consequences are," he said and then fell over, shuddering. Anri looked at the other one and he started shuddering. They died in a few seconds. She slammed the door and came face-to-face with Samaru.

She felt tears sting her eyes. She leaned onto his chest and started crying. A hand moved onto her back and held her closer. Yes, she knew what the consequences were. All of her friends would be killed off one-by-one. Their children first, then her friends. She also knew that she couldn't stand knowing that her friends were going to be killed off one by one. Orochimaru knew that as well.

Samaru let go of her and looked out the window at the two dead ninjas. "You killed them. You've gotten better at controlling your abilities. Do you think you can take down Orochimaru?" he asked. Anri shook her head. "I wish. I have to keep practicing."

Tani ran downstairs. "Mommy, are we going to Hinata's house?" she asked with cheerful eyes. Anri smiled. "Only if you get ready," she said. Tani ran up to her room.

Anri turned to Samaru. "We're running out of time. We're going to have to give up," she said with tears in her eyes, "As you know, they don't know how emotionally dead we are. They don't care about anything except the Uchiha prodigy." She looked down as Samaru frowned. "You never gave up. What happened to the old Anri?" he asked.

She shook her head and walked upstairs. Samaru decided to answer his own question. "She died with her feelings and spirit." He slowly walked up the steps.

Anri and Samaru walked down the streets of Konoha. Today was Naoto's birthday and the Hyuugas were throwing a huge party for him. Tani skipped after them. Nowadays, everyone either hid in fear or tried to pretend that nothing was wrong and go about their daily lives while the sound ninja kept watch.

Anri was dressed in the usual, a black kimono with a flame-like pattern. The Uchiha symbol was on the back of it. Tani wore the same kind of kimono and had her hair tied up in a ponytail. She smiled; unaware of the fact that Konoha hadn't always been like this.

Tani stopped to look at a man with white hair. "Mommy, who's he?" she asked. She was always curious about different people. Anri frowned and muttered, "A total asshole." Samaru chuckled. The man looked at her. "What was that, Anri?" he asked with a smirk. Sunlight reflected off of his glasses and Anri closed her eyes for a minute. "Nothing, Kabuto," she replied.

Tani walked towards Kabuto and gave him a huge grin. "Hiya, Sir," she said. Anri gave a weak smile. "Tani, let's get going, we don't want to be late and make Naoto mad do we?" she asked. Tani giggled and grabbed Samaru and Anri's hands and pulled them ahead.

Anri made Tani let go of her hand and turned to face Kabuto. She flipped him off with both hands and smirked at his shocked expression. She mouthed, "Fuck off," before she turned around.

When they finally made it to the Hyuuga Mansion, they knocked on the door. Hinata greeted them and let them in. She showed Tani to where the other kids were while Neji led Samaru to one room while Hanabi led Anri to another.

Anri…

When Anri walked into the room she sat down and began talking to her old friends. The older women: Tenten, Hinata, Sakura, Kurenai, Ino, and Temari sat on one side of the room. On the other side, were Tami, Yoshi, Kozakura, Ginama, and Choukata.

Ginama smiled. "I can't believe it, you're pregnant again! I thought you only wanted one child!" Ginama exclaimed. Yoshi shrugged. "Shikaro and I went against that," she said.

Anri smiled. Tami looked at her. "How's Tani?" she asked. Anri looked at her. "She's doing very well. She always brightens everyone up in the mansion," she said. Tami just smiled.

Ginama spoke up. "Kazuhiro doesn't brighten up the mood at my house. He's always asking questions about the sound ninja. His father and I are trying to keep the reason that the ninjas are here a secret," she said, shaking her head. Choukata rolled her eyes. "Well, he probably knows! He is a Hatake after all," she said.

Kozakura smiled. "You think that's bad? Inohiro and Choumaru bicker 24-7! It's very annoying. I haven't been able to rest for the last few days," she said.

Anri laughed. "That's easy to tell," she said, "You're crabbier than usual." Kozakura raised an eyebrow. "So, how has it been around your house?" she asked.

Anri frowned. "Sound ninjas stopped by this morning, Only causing scars to turn to wounds," she said. The other women frowned.

Tami wrapped her arms around Anri. "It's ok. I'm sure that wherever Noboru is, he'll be back someday," she said. Anri nodded and tapped her lips. The lips that hadn't been kissed by someone she loved in years.

In the outskirts of Konoha, two figures stood on a cliff. "Out of all the foolish things you've done, this is the most foolish," one of them said. His deep blue eyes scanned the village below. The wind ruffled his short, blonde hair.

The other man smirked. "You sound like Deidara, Daichi. Now I see how you two are related," he said. Daichi shook his head. "You vowed never to return here, why did you choose this mission?" he asked.

The other man frowned. "To get rid of a few scars. Plus, I want to kill the fiend who did this," he said. Daichi gave a weak smile. "You sound like you love this place." The other man shook his head. "I don't love this place, it's one of the people in it," he said.

Daichi chuckled. "You broke your ties with the village." The other man shook his head. "Not all of them. It's hard to forget someone when you have a broken heart." He held up a kunai with a fang-like mark on it. "I'm not leaving without her." His white eyes looked down. "We'll have to blend in." Daichi smiled. "You would know how to do that, Noboru."

-


	2. Reveiling

Anri walked into the Uchiha mansion and collapsed on the couch, laughing. Tani followed her and collapsed on her and started laughing as well. Samaru stood in the doorway, smiling. He didn't say anything, but although he was still deeply in love with Tami, he had started to love Anri.

Anri sat up and placed Tani in her lap and wrapped her arms around the giggling child. Samaru sat next to her. "Did you have fun?" he asked Tani. Tani nodded. "You won't believe what Inohiro did! First he…" She continued talking about what happened while Anri and Samaru sat there, smiling.

Anri chuckled when Tani finished. "Well, aren't you happy?" she asked teasingly. Tani grinned. Samaru picked her up. "Well, it's a little late. I think you should go to bed," he told her. Tani pouted, but didn't whine like most kids.

Anri stood up and took a black ribbon out of her hair and let her long, black hair fall to her waist. "I need to go. Tonight's the night that Naoto, Ginama, and I take a walk around the village."

Samaru looked her over. "Dressed like that?" he asked. She nodded. "Of course. I'm a bit too lazy to change into something else. I'll be back in a bit," she said as she walked out the door.

The crisp night hair gently tossed her hair. Naoto and Ginama stood on either side of her. She inhaled the sweet air and sighed. The only thing missing was her freedom. Ginama had become her best friend once the Chuunin exams were over and Naoto had always been her friend. Having them near her made this night almost perfect.

Ginama smiled. "Being the Hyuuga heir must be difficult, huh Naoto?" she asked teasingly. Naoto chuckled. "Not really, I don't takeover until my mom dies. Since…well…my dad's in prison." He frowned.

Anri recalled that day. "The Hokage was arrested, Konoha fell, and N-N…" her voice trailed off as tears formed in her eyes. Naoto frowned. "It's best not to think about him. He's a traitor to Konoha. Everyone would hate him if he came back…" his voice trailed off as Anri put a hand over her heart. "He left too much behind," she said sadly.

Ginama smiled. "Come on! I've been waiting for this night for a while! Might as well make the best of it!" she said, skipping ahead. Anri laughed and followed her.

They first stopped by Ichiraku Ramen and ate. Then, they decided to pick where they wanted to go. First, was Ginama's choice. She chose a jewelry store.

Naoto leaned against the wall while Anri and Ginama browsed. Ginama tried on numerous pieces of jewelry, most of them just for kicks. Anri looked until something caught her eye.

She picked up a white vial and smiled. A perfect thing to carry poisons in, which she used a lot. She paid for it while Ginama paid for a ruby necklace in the shape of a rose.

Anri put the vial in one of her sleeves and kept it there as they walked. Next, Naoto picked a local restaurant. Five minutes later, Ginama was supporting him out. "He drank WAY too much sake. He spent a lot of time with Naruto, huh?" Ginama said. Anri laughed. "I remember the first time we got kicked out of a restaurant. Lee-sensei went crazy and knocked out N…" she stopped. She couldn't even say his name! How pathetic!

Ginama gave a sad smile and walked towards Naoto's house to take him home. Anri walked down the streets towards the Uchiha Mansion. She sighed. That wasn't as fun as it usually was.

She kept walking, frequently bumping into people and getting a few rude remarks. They'd instantly apologize when they recognized her. She hated that. They didn't fear her; it was Orochimaru they feared.

She ran into one person, but he didn't move like the other people. She looked up into white eyes. "Excuse me, I'm very sorry." She started to walk away, but he grabbed her wrist.

Anri turned around to face him, noticing a man with blonde hair and blue eyes standing behind him. Her face turned into a scowl. "Let go! I have to be getting home!" she snapped. The man holding onto her wrist chuckled. "Still in a hurry? You haven't changed."

Anri continued to try to break free. "What are you talking about? I've never met you in my life, Hyuuga!" she snapped. "I know a lot of Hyuugas, but none of them are as rude as you!"

The man chuckled again. "So, that's how it is. You didn't find me rude before. Maybe it's you who's being rude, not giving me a chance to talk," he said with a smirk.

Anri smirked. "Oh, really? I hadn't noticed. As you can see, the whole village is crazy about my safety. There are guards all around us. You don't want to get your ass kicked, now do you?" she said.

The man shrugged. "I don't give a damn. Apparently, you haven't changed at all," he said. Anri scowled again. "I don't know you, so let go of me you bastard!" she yelled.

Nearby sound-nin guards walked over to them. "You might want to let go of her, Hyuuga. That is, unless you want Uchiha Samaru after you."

The man's eyes widened and he glared at Anri. "You married him? Of all people!" He cursed and kept glaring. Anri scowled. "I told you! I don't know you!" She finally broke free and ran off, rubbing her wrist.

The man tried to follow her, but the guards stopped him. "Hyuuga, you're under arrest for attempting to…" They were cut off by clay spiders jumping onto their faces. They fell over and the two men stepped away as the spiders exploded.

The man with the white eyes said, "Did you have to do that, Daichi?" Daichi chuckled. "Of course. If you have the nerve to hold onto an Uchiha's wrist and not care what they think, then I can kill two guards. Am I right, Noboru?" Noboru gave a weak smile. "You left out one detail."

Daichi smirked. "Right. We're not supposed to blow our cover, but I've wanted to get rid of some pests ever since we came here. Besides, the leader won't care. Now that Itachi and Kisame are dead, he needs us around."

Noboru nodded. "I guess so. I say we pay the Uchihas a visit tomorrow." He smirked. Daichi nodded. "Whatever you say."

Anri ran into the mansion, out of breath. She let Kaminari and Akana inside and ran up the steps. She changed into a semi-see-through t-shirt and (not see-through, lol) shorts and crawled into bed, next to Samaru. She felt strong arms wrap around her. "So, how was your night?" Samaru asked.

Anri smiled. "It was fine, thank you. Although, Naoto got drunk again." She heard Samaru chuckled. She didn't bother to tell him about the two men she saw. That would only make him worry about something so small.

In the morning, Anri was the first to get up. She crept downstairs, poured herself a glass of water, and sat down at a table. She rubbed her head and sighed. She heard enthusiastic barks as Akana and Kaminari ran towards her.

Anri frowned. "No running in the house," she scolded. The two dogs stopped and walked towards her. She rubbed their heads. She heard a knock on the door and, not caring that she was wearing a partially see-through t-shirt, walked towards the door.

When she opened the door, no one was there. She shrugged and closed the door. She turned around. Her wrists were grabbed before she could react.

She looked up into white eyes. It was the man from last night. Anri glared at him. "Let go or you'll find out why everyone's over-protective of me," she snapped. He chuckled. "Your mind techniques?" he asked.

Anri scowled. "How do you know? No one outside of Konoha knows about my abilities!" she snapped. He laughed. "I was there when they decided your fate. I believe Sasuke, Gaara, Naruto, Kiba, Sakura, and a few others were present," he said, smirking. He felt a sharp pain in his head.

He looked at Anri. Her eyes were black and her flesh slowly dissolved until she was a skeleton. Her mouth gave a hideous smile. The man, Noboru, didn't seem to care.

"I see you've been working on genjutsu," he said, stabbing himself with a kunai to make the illusion go away. Anri frowned. "Fine, you leave me no choice." She smirked.

Tani came running down the stairs. "Mornin' Momma!" she yelled, and then stopped when she saw Noboru. "Momma? Who's this?"

Anri looked at her. "Tani, go get Daddy for Momma, okay?" she said. Tani ran upstairs yelling, "Daddy! There's a scary man in the house holding on to Momma!"

Samaru ran down the steps. He glared at Noboru with his Sharingan eyes. "Who are you? What do you think you're doing?" he asked, furious.

Noboru laughed. "Me? An old friend that's changed a lot since I left. Maybe this will ring a bell," he said, taking out a kunai and holding it up to Anri's face.

Anri's eyes widened. "T-That k-kunai…how did you get that?" she snapped. He smirked. "I've had it since I was 12. The exact day you lost it," he said.

Anri looked at him, stunned. She shook her head slightly. "You're supposed to be dead…" Then, he smirked. "Everyone thinks that." Anri slowly got the courage to speak. "Noboru?"


	3. Reveiled Truth

I AM SO SORRY!!!! This was the real chapter, I uploaded the wrong document!

Anri felt tears come to her eyes. "Impossible…" she said. Noboru smiled and leaned towards her. She put a hand in front of his face and backed away. "I'm sorry, but I'm married now," she said.

Samaru froze right were he was standing and hadn't moved since Anri said, "Noboru?" Noboru blinked in shock. The word rang through his head, "_Married…Married…Married…" _

Noboru shook his head as if it wasn't possible. He remembered Tani. "So, that's your daughter?" he asked. Anri nodded.

Samaru ran upstairs, picked up Tani, and ran out the door. He didn't want to be there during their conversation. He wasn't in the mood to hear yelling, and he didn't want to disturb them. Although it hurt, he knew that Anri still loved Noboru.

As soon as Samaru was gone, Anri slapped Noboru as hard as she could. He stood there, stunned. "You jerk! How could you leave me? You idiot! Do you know how Tenten felt? How I felt? How Neji felt? NO! YOU DON'T! I can't believe you had the guts to…" She didn't get to finish. Noboru had held her closer to him and pressed his lips against hers.

Anri thought of protesting, but she hadn't seen him in so long. She lightly moved her mouth away from his. "Just so you know, now that you're back, I'm starting to hate you," she hissed. He chuckled. "I can see that," he said sarcastically.

She smirked. "I'm sure you can." She shivered at his hands running along her back. Then, she pushed him away. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can forgive you that easily." She ran upstairs and slammed the door.

Noboru heard a chuckled behind him. "Wow, you sure have a way with women!" Noboru turned and glared at Daichi. "I thought I told you to leave me alone for the rest of the day."

Daichi yawned and sat down. "This place is boring. Coming from an artistic family, I'm surprised I haven't died yet. Anyways, this seemed interesting," he said, smirking.

Noboru scowled. "I swear I'll kill you one day. I'm sure the rest of Akatsuki won't mind." Daichi shuddered. "Nope, they won't care. That's why I live life to the fullest, any second they could kill me without any second thoughts. You on the other hand, are the only member from Konoha and are needed to help with plans involving Konoha."

Noboru frowned. "I'll be back later. For now, let's leave," he said sadly. They formed a seal and both vanished from the house.

After Anri had slammed the door. She fell back against a wall. She cursed herself for her stupidity. She really had forgiven him, just wasn't ready to face the facts that he probably would leave again. She knew what his intentions were, and she really didn't care.

Severing bonds wasn't easy, but she had done it before. This was one of those times where she would have to sever them. She felt tears sting her eyes as she walked over to her bed and lied down. An old wound resurfaced and pain shot through her body as she sobbed.

Just one good memory would do…but all of them included him. Nothing could tell her otherwise. She was still in love with him.

She stood up with tears still running down her face and walked back downstairs. It was raining outside. She grabbed a black coat and put it on quickly. She pulled the hood over her head and walked out the door. She knew only one person that she could talk to without them getting mad. An old sensei, Nara Shikamaru.

Noboru sat down at a certain restaurant and took a sip of water. Daichi had run of to somewhere a while ago, and now he was soaking wet. He looked around hoping no one that he knew was there. He saw Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino sitting at a table in front of him. Just his luck.

Shikamaru was the only one that saw him and stood up. He walked over to Noboru's table and sat down. He lit a cigarette. "You meeting someone here?" he asked. Noboru shook his head. He looked at the cigarette and a look of shock ran over his face. Shikamaru smoked now?

Shikamaru chuckled. "Not the way you remembered me, eh?" he asked. Noboru looked at him. "What are you talking about?" he asked. Shikamaru shook his head. "How could I forget an old student? It's hard enough to miss the light brown specks in your white eyes. Lee would be thrilled, if he wasn't in prison."

Noboru spewed water out next to him. "WHAT?" he hissed. Shikamaru sighed. "Lee tried to go against Orochimaru. He's in real bad condition. If it weren't for the medicine that Sakura sneaks into the water that he drinks, he'd be dead."

Noboru frowned. "Why are the three of you here?" he asked. Shikamaru looked at him. "They just came with me. I'm waiting for someone," he said. Noboru smirked. "Your wife?" he asked. Shikamaru shook his head as a woman with a black coat ran into the restaurant.

Shikamaru stood up. "There she is." He walked towards her. Noboru saw the woman pull down the hood of her coat. It was Anri. He stayed seated. He would wait until she was about to leave. He watched them sit down and smirked. Hopefully, this wouldn't take too long.

Anri felt soaking wet when she walked into the restaurant. That coat didn't help much she took off the coat as Shikamaru approached her. "What did you want to talk about?" he asked.

Anri held back tears. "It's about a friend of mine," she said softly. Shikamaru nodded. "Noboru, right?" he asked. Anri glared. Her expression soon softened. "I can't keep anything from you, huh Shikamaru-sensei?" she said. He smirked. "Stop calling me sensei. You're a jounin now, not a student."

Anri laughed. "To me, you'll always be a sensei." Then she frowned. "But back to the original point…"

Shikamaru pointed to a table, away from his old team and Noboru. They both sat down. "As you were saying…" Shikamaru said.

Anri smiled. "Well, the thing is…as you may know, I've been in an arranged marriage for seven years. Over that course of time, I tried to stop thinking about him. But I just can't get over it. What should I do?" she asked frantically.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm… I'm not really sure. You could just…" Ino walked over to them. "Shikamaru, we better get going before Temari gets upset." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "We just got here." Ino looked around. "Kabuto just walked in. We NEED to get out of here." She grabbed his arm and pulled him away. He gave Anri an apologetic look as the trio walked out of the restaurant.

Anri sighed. She put her coat back on and proceeded to walk towards the exit. As soon as she was almost home, someone grabbed her shoulders and whispered, "Just where do you think you're going?"

Anri's eyes became full of fear as the man spun her around. Kabuto. "What do you want?" she asked in a shaky voice. Kabuto smirked. "You're becoming…" He stopped in mid-sentence, his eyes full of pain.

Noboru stood behind him. He smirked as Kabuto fell down. He looked at Anri and approached her, making her back into a wall. "Get away from me," she hissed, "I don't want to kill you."

He smirked again. "How do you propose to do that?" He moved close to her, pinning her hands against the stone wall behind her. She looked at him. Her eyes turned a deep black as she activated one of her favorite mind techniques. He showed no signs of pain.

Her eyes returned to normal. "What? How can you…" her eyes were full of shock and fear. He smiled. "Your techniques can't work against me. I spent years developing ways to counter them. I hope you won't run off this time."

She calmed down some. She looked at him with sad eyes. "Can't you see I'm married?" He shook his head. "I see someone that was never loyal to Konoha's laws."

She looked away. "We married for the sake of those we love." He frowned. "No one has to know. No one really knows who Tani's parents are. Samaru and Tami, correct?" he said.

Anri nodded slowly. Her eyes still looked sad. "Noboru, why did you leave?" she asked. Noboru looked away. "I well…felt betrayed. That doesn't matter. Look Anri, I still love you. I never stopped loving you."

She smiled. "I still love you." Defying what she had said earlier, she leaned towards him, and kissed him. Neither of them noticed that someone was watching. They were lost in the moment.


	4. NOTICE: A MUSTREAD

I AM SO FREAKIN' SORRY! I uploaded the wrong document for Chapter 3. The real document's there now. You might want to go back and read it. The document I uploaded was really the beginning of Chapter 4. Deepest apologies!

IcyCold12


	5. Sorry! READ

I'm very sorry, but I won't be able to write as much. I have really bad writer's block so it may take a while. Plus I have loads of homework nowadays. Here's the thing: I don't always like writing on weekends or holidays; I also never have time to write on Wednesdays. So I have four days a week to write.

Writer's block + four days – holidays SLOW PROGRESS

I'm very sorry! I hope you all will keep reading!

IcyCold (IC)


	6. Secrets Exposed

Anri broke the kiss and smiled as she started to walk away. He grabbed her arm again. "You have to stop running off." Anri chuckled. "You have to stop holding onto my arm."

Noboru raised an eyebrow. "Are you running off now?" Anri nodded. "I don't think Samaru can take care of Tani. I'll meet you here tomorrow." She ran off.

Noboru slumped against a wall, a dazed look on his face. A figure jumped down in front Noboru, the shadows hiding its appearance. The figure stopped. Noboru heard a kunai drop. "Noboru? How could you still be alive?" a voice whispered.

Noboru stood up. "Who are you?" he demanded. The figure jumped forward and hugged him. "I can't believe it!" the person said. A scowl came across Noboru's face. "Get off, Dobe! Who the heck are you?" he yelled as he knocked the person back.

The figure grinned. A recognizable fox grin. "Don't tell me you forgot about your best friend."

Anri walked down the streets of Konoha. Fear was clearly seen in her eyes. What was she afraid of? No one knew…

Not only was fear seen, but pure bliss. The sky was gray and almost everyone stayed inside. The rain had stopped, but no one noticed. Everyone stayed inside, looking at the strangely happy woman walking down the street.

She walked towards her old training grounds and laid her coat on the wet grass. She sat down on it and reflected on what had just happened. She sensed something behind her and stood up. Her eyes grew wide with fear.

She backed away. "Get away from me!" she yelled. Tears stung her eyes, threatening to fall at any given moment.

Before her, stood Orochimaru. A sickening grin was plastered across his face. "You know something about the two strangers that entered Konoha, don't you?" he said. Anri shook her head and felt his hand slap her across the face.

Raged, Anri glared at him. "Go ahead, just try to attack me again!" she hissed. He chuckled. Yes, he wanted to anger her. To make her hate him with a fiery intensity.

Her fist came in contact with his face as she let her anger control her. She repeatedly punched him, and he let her. Finally, when she was too tired to fight back, he threw a kunai towards her shoulder. Before she knew what happened, blood poured out of her shoulder.

He walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders. A black-like chakra flowed from his hands into her shoulders. She shuddered. "Wait! Please don't!" she pleaded, tears pouring down her face. Her head suddenly hung limp as Orochimaru stepped back.

She looked up at him, a wild look in her eyes. She grinned at the smell of blood. Her insane grin was instantly turned into a look of pain when she was slammed against a tree. She looked into golden eyes. "Listen, I will figure out what connection you have with those two."

She felt dizzy and angry. She saw his image fade and finally darken into pure black.

When she awoke, she was lying on the ground, her wound still causing a lot of pain. She stood up and began the long walk home.

She kept walking until someone stopped her. She turned around to glare at a certain pink-haired kunoichi. Her eyes didn't soften, but the fiery glare became more intense and seemed to bore through Sakura's mind.

Sakura looked at her wound. "Let me heal you," she said kindly. Anri shook her head and started to walk. "No," she said firmly.

Sakura followed her. "This wound is bad, please let me help," she begged. Anri clenched her fists. "Sakura, I don't want to hurt you," she said firmly.

Sakura tapped her shoulder and started to heal it. Anri turned around and slammed Sakura against a wall. Sakura cried out in pain. Anri smirked. "Listen. I'm the stronger one. I don't need your weak help. You're a med-nin; barely able to move when you're in pain. I can. You can't. Get over it. Go ahead and cry; no one cares. Your pain is mostly my strength," she hissed, dropping Sakura.

Sakura tapped the back of her head and she put her hand in front of her face and winced at the amount of blood. Anri gave an insane smirk as she walked towards the mansion, a monster unleashed within her. No, not a demon. An old blood lust. One that formed when she was thirteen. One that was caused by a broken heart. One that was released by her previous encounter with Orochimaru.

She walked slowly. Everyone that saw that crazy look in her eyes ran off as fast as their legs could carry them.

Noboru looked at the stranger again. "N-Naoto?" he asked. Naoto nodded. "Nice to see you!" Naoto said enthusiastically. Daichi appeared next to him. "You know this freak?" he asked, pointing to Naoto.

Naoto scowled. "I'm not a freak!" he yelled. Noboru chuckled. "Daichi, this is Naoto. Naoto, Daichi." They stood there for a bit, then talked for a while. Hours seemed to pass when they suddenly heard a scream.

They looked at each other and ran towards the scream. Unfortunately, Anri was walking in their direction. Daichi ran into her. Her semi-muscular body blocked him and she stood there as he fell.

He gulped and looked up at her rage-filled eyes. "Watch where you're going!" she hissed, her voice laced with venom. She picked him up by his neck and glared at him.

Naoto backed away. "Anri, it's ok. No one's going to hurt you." Anri glared at him and chuckled. "Hurt _me_? I'd be more worried about yourself, Naoto." Naoto shrugged. "I tried." He started to run off, but Noboru caught him by his shirt collar. "What's wrong with her?" he asked calmly.

Naoto gulped. "It's a certain mental condition she developed. Only Kiba, Akito, Orochimaru, and Hana can help." He paused and glared. "It developed right after you left."

Noboru dropped him, not wanting to be blamed for anything. "Go get Hana." Naoto shook his head. "Jail."

"Akito?"

"Don't know where he is."

"Kiba?"

Naoto paused. "He's kind of…dead." Noboru's eyes widened. "What happened?" he asked. He felt a hand on each shoulder as Anri's cold, cruel voice said, "I killed him." Noboru turned around only to be punched in the face.

Noboru stared at her in shock. "You killed your own father?" he said. Anri chuckled. "He was in the way. So are you," she said cruelly as she pinned Noboru to the ground and held a kunai up to his throat as she had done many years ago. She slowly pressed it closer to his throat, drawing blood.

Noboru's mind flashed back to his past. This is how Anri caught her enemies. She always knocked them down. Once they were down, they were vulnerable.

He grabbed her shoulders, flipped her over, and switched places with her, pinning her to the ground with a kunai up to her neck. He smirked. "Look who's vulnerable now, Anri," he taunted. She hissed a few cursed. "Naoto, what should we do?" Noboru asked. Naoto shrugged. "Get her home and seal-"

Someone knocked Noboru out of the way and took his place of pinning Anri down. A hood covered the person's face, so Noboru couldn't tell who he was. The man formed a few seals and held his hand on Anri's neck. She screamed in pain and passed out.

The man stood up. "Shit, that was too close," he whispered. Noboru held him up by his shirt collar. "Who the heck are you?" The man's nails scraped against Noboru's face, drawing blood. Noboru looked at the man's nails as they were shrinking. "An Inuzuka," he whispered.

The man looked at him. "What's your name, why are you in Konoha, and whose side are you on?" he asked. Noboru raised an eyebrow and said, "Hyuuga Noboru. Personal reasons. No one's." He glared at the man.

Naoto grinned as he stepped next to the man. "This would happen to be the leader of the rebels. This guy has undone everything Orochimaru has worked for, and most of the jounins are on his side. Of course, he's at large and has a huge bounty on his head."

Daichi, who hadn't spoken in a bit, said, "Who the heck is he?" Naoto grinned. "Introduce yourself. Noboru you should know." The man slammed Noboru up against a wall. "You!" he hissed.

Noboru winced in pain. "What?" The man pulled back his hood, revealing his short brown hair and dog-like eyes. "It was your fault Anri has that blood lust! All yours! She developed so many problems, doctors died trying to help her. She's unstable and dangerous thanks to you!" he accused.

Noboru's eyes widened. "No way. It can't be." He paused for a second, and then continued. "Inuzuka Akito."


	7. The Sad Truth

Akito narrowed his eyes. "Don't consider me a friend, foe, or acquaintance. If you join my group, we'll be considered as allies, nothing more," he said. Noboru shook his head. "I came back for one reason. Once that reason is fulfilled, I will leave." Daichi nodded.

Akito slammed Noboru up against the wall again. "Listen, you aren't leaving unless you help us. You're one of the only ones who haven't been 'affected' by a certain mark." Naoto frowned and backed away. "I can't be with you guys currently, I'll take Anri, and you guys go on." He picked up Anri and ran off.

Noboru raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?" he asked. Akito sighed. "So many civilians are in the hospital from a certain 'disease' as many call it. Orochimaru has grown stronger. He developed a new curse mark. It makes you a sort of puppet, but many die from it. It starts out as a series of migraines. Then, seizures and fevers. Then, you experience major pain, as if someone lit you on fire. Finally, you slip into a coma and die. My mother is in jail until the mark is placed on her." Tears ran down his face as he looked back at Noboru.

"Anri has been affected by it but didn't receive any symptoms of it like most survivors. No fever, no migraines, and no seizures. She has Orochimaru's same strange ability. Many have gotten the mark from her. More survive from Orochimaru's mark than hers. She's violent. She murders some people before they have a chance to react to the mark. Like Kiba."

Noboru's eyes widened as Akito spoke. He looked down. "Fine. I'll help to free Konoha and Anri. Then, I'll be leaving." Akito nodded and looked around before saying, "Follow me." He started to walk away. Noboru and Daichi followed him.

Anri woke up on her couch and cursed. Not again. How many people did she harm this time? A minimum of ten. A maximum of thirty.

Tani ran downstairs, crying. "Mama! Daddy's mad again! He's yelling!" she whined. Anri walked over and hugged the child. "Listen, Tani, I want you to run next door and let me talk to daddy." Tani knew what to do. This always happened. Anri would be crying when she returned, but quickly smiled and told her everything was all right.

Anri walked upstairs Fury rushed through her, ready to explode into flames. Samaru sat in their room, a sake bottle in his hand he threw it at a wall and it made a loud CRACK. He muttered a few curses as Anri closed the door.

"Samaru, you've been drinking again. Please, don't get mad. What did you say to Tani?" She spoke in a gentle tone. She kept her distance; hand on the doorknob if he tried anything. Samaru stood up.

"That good for nothin' brat? Just gave her what she deserved," he hissed. Anri bit her lip. He had hit her. Anri scowled, she tried to be patient. "Please don't do that Samaru. You should be resting." Samaru scowled.

Anri stayed quiet. "Samaru, let's go. You're drunk. We can't let you get to out of control." Samaru stood up. That was Anri's cue to run. She opened the door and ran, knowing that her chakra had been absorbed by the curse mark and wouldn't be restored until tomorrow. She got halfway down the steps when Samaru spun her around, clutching her wrists.

He had a sick grin on his face. Anri was about to scream. Samaru covered her mouth. "Shhh…don't want the neighbors to hear you," he cooed. Anri felt tears sting her eyes. This had only happened twice, and both times she managed to get away. Today, she felt weaker, like a genin could beat her.

She closed her eyes as Samaru picked her up and she heard two doors shut. Anri sobbed silently. The fact that Samaru got drunk whenever he heard of her cursed seal activated was starting to seriously hurt her.

Noboru had stopped Tani in the middle of the sidewalk. "Tani, where's your mom?" he asked. He noticed Tani's tear stains on her face. She hugged his leg and sobbed. "Daddy's angry…he'll hurt Mama!" she wailed.

Noboru told her to keep walking while he ran towards the house. He came in just in time to hear a door slam. He ran upstairs and tried to open the door. Locked. He stepped back and smashed his fist against the door, causing it to shatter. He ran in and tackled Samaru, who had pinned Anri against a wall.

Anri's eyes widened as she fell on the floor, sobbing. Her kimono was slightly torn and her lips were bleeding. Noboru hit Samaru on the head and picked up Anri. "GET AWAY FROM MY WIFE!" Samaru roared.

Noboru turned around, held onto Anri with one arm, and the other glowed blue as he placed his hand on the floor. Samaru shuddered and fell down.

Noboru ran downstairs and dropped Anri on the couch. "What in the world was that about?" He kept his eyes on the steps. Anri gave a weak smile through her tears and threw her arms around him. "It's a long story. Samaru has had a few 'problems' since we were wed."

Noboru wrapped his arms around her. "So he takes out those problems on you and Tani? Why don't you divorce him?" he asked. Anri shook her head. "Everyone would die. It would be my fault."

"You could at least hit a guy that tries to a…sexually harass you," he said, blushing. Anri looked at him with wide eyes. "Right now I'm about as weak as a newborn child." She noticed the blush and raised her eyebrows. He certainly hadn't changed.

She opened her mouth to speak when Tani rushed through the door. Her shirt was ripped and her hair was ruffled. "Mama!" she wailed, "Bad men tried to hurt me!"

Anri stood up and looked down. "You went further than the house? Never mind, show me where these 'bad men' are," she snarled. Tani pointed towards an alley outside. Anri kneeled down. "Tani, can Mama see your hands?" she asked. Tani held out her hands and Anri grabbed them. After a minute, Tani fainted. Anri caught her and handed her to Noboru. "Watch her, she'll be weak when she wakes up."

Anri walked away towards the alley. She looked towards a few men smoking. One of them held a strip of cloth. One of them chuckled when she walked towards them.

"What're you doing out here, Lady? Don't you know it isn't safe for a pretty lady like yourself to be wandering the streets. Guys could take advantage of that," he said, standing up.

Anri held out her hand. "Don't come any closer." The man walked towards her. "I warned you. I didn't want to have to do this," she said gravely. She opened her mouth to reveal two strange fangs, venom dripping from them.

Anyone present that night would've heard two loud screams. Three men were hospitalized that night. Of course, a series of seizures, migraines, and sharp pains broke out. In the end…they died.

Anri walked back in the house. This was one hectic day. "Why can't everything just go back to normal?" she asked while she sat down on the clean floor. Tani walked over to her. "Mama, hasn't it always been this way?" she asked. Anri looked up and slowly shook her head. Noboru looked away.

"There were better times. I was never really happy, just content. I always wished someone would just take me away from here. That feeling disappeared as soon as I became a genin. I was finally a bit more than content. Until…Until," She started crying. "Tani, just go to bed…" Tani ran upstairs.

Anri stopped crying. "There, that settles that. Now I don't have to explain myself." Noboru chuckled. "What now?" he asked. Anri stood up. "Noboru. We have to start planning the attack on the sound-nin and Orochimaru."

Noboru raised an eyebrow. "How do you intend to do that?" he asked. Anri looked away. "By summoning something that hates him beyond reason." Noboru frowned. "Which is?" he asked.

Anri kept her mouth shut. Noboru turned her head towards him. "Tell me," he demanded. Anri shook her head. He frowned. "I promise I won't stop you." Anri had tears in her eyes. "I'm going to use the same jutsu that both the 4th and 3rd hokage used. The sealing technique.


	8. Time Goes By Too Quickly

Noboru stared at Anri, his eyes widened. He didn't even notice as Anri raced by him and was out the door in a few minutes. He did, however, notice when Samaru came down the steps. Samaru fell against a wall, holding his head. "Damn. What happened?" he asked. Noboru leaned against a wall and chuckled. "You were always insane. Now you're an insane alcoholic…" He appeared in front of Samaru and punched him in his face.

Samaru fell to the ground and put his hands over his bloody nose. He winced in pain as he stood up. "What the heck was that for?" he demanded. Noboru slammed his fist down on Samaru's skull and shook his head. "You're even more messed up than you were when we were kids. I'm afraid Tani's coming with me," he said. Samaru's eyes closed and he blacked out.

Noboru ran upstairs and picked up Tani. "Tani, you need to stay at the Nara's household, understood?" he said, eyes full of concern. Tani, who had been sleeping, nodded and fell asleep in his arms. Noboru's eyes softened and he smiled.

As soon as he walked out of the house, he came face-to-face with Daichi. Daichi looked at him. "Kidnapping now, eh? That isn't a good idea. We don't want any major enemies like your girlfriend or the Uchiha." Noboru shook his head. "Here, hold Tani for a second." Daichi nodded and took Tani out of Noboru's arms.

Noboru ran off, leaving Daichi standing on the sidewalk with the Uchiha successor in his arms. "Ok, this is bad. What if someone attacks me? I can't believe it!" he whispered to himself. Then, he felt two sharp pains in his back and he started falling. He hit the ground with Tani now gone from his sight.

"What do you think you're doing?" a voice asked. Daichi looked up into two pairs of white eyes. 'Two Hyuugas…wait, there are to others. An Uchiha and a strange pink-haired girl,' he thought to himself.

The female Hyuuga spoke up. "You must be insane. Kidnapping the Uchiha successor," she said, her eyes were harsh. The male Hyuuga looked at her. "Hinata, we got here in time. Let the man speak before you jump to conclusions." He glared at Daichi. Hinata nodded. "I guess you're right, Neji." Daichi gulped. Hyuuga Neji? Oh, he was dead.

The Uchiha stepped forward. "Sakura, take Tani to the Nara household until we figure out what's going on." Sakura nodded and ran off. Daichi gulped again. Itachi was dead…Samaru was inside…so this man was Uchiha Sasuke. Yup, he was dead.

"Well…you see…my, uh, friend put her in my arms and ran off. I had no idea who on earth she was! It wasn't my fault, honestly!" he said, then added, "Please don't kill me!" Neji raised an eyebrow. "Who exactly is this 'friend' of yours?" he asked, his Kekkei Genkai activated. Daichi glanced around, then said, "Noboru."

Neji picked him up by his neck. "You're lying." Daichi shook his head. "In fact, there he is! Hey Noboru! Ya mind helping me out?" Noboru walked towards them slowly. "Damn. What did you do to get in trouble with two clans?" he asked.

Neji deactivated his Byakugan and stared and Noboru. "Noboru?" he asked. Noboru raised an eyebrow. "Did you get me in trouble too, Daichi?" He activated his Byakugan and got into his usual stance. "You're within the boundary. I suggest you drop my friend, Hyuuga."

Neji kept staring. Hinata stepped in front of Neji and got into a stance. "Noboru, we don't want to hurt you. Although, I'm afraid I'll have to hurt you if you attack Neji." Noboru stood, frozen. 'Neji?' he thought to himself. His gaze shifted from Hinata, to Neji. His icy glare faded, but he smirked. "Do you think you can stop me?"

Hinata glared. "I know I can." Noboru glanced at Daichi. Daichi frowned. He ripped the gloves off his hands, revealing two mouths. (Yes, he was concealing them). Sasuke looked at them, his eyes widening. Daichi stood up and backed away. "It's a shame I had to use this technique. Especially after all the trouble I went through to hide it." He sighed, his lips curling into a smirk. "Don't take it personally. They're orders." He stared at them for what seemed like hours. They looked at each other as Daichi raised his hand slowly to his face. "I'm not artistic, but this will do."

Smoke filled the air as a loud explosion was heard. The ground under Hinata, Neji, and Sasuke crumbled as they were caught in it. Noboru turned and ran off. "Damnit, Daichi! Let's get out of here!" he yelled.

Daichi nodded, putting his gloves back on. "Deidara's gonna kill me!" he yelled. Noboru shook his head. "Just don't tell him!" he yelled back. He ran up a wall and stood on the roof of a building. "Byakugan!"

His eyes scanned the area. "5 ANBU…2 Jounins…Shit." He jumped to the next roof top. Daichi stopped. He closed his eyes. "You're going to pay for this. If they catch you, and figure out where you've been…you'll get Akatsuki in trouble and we don't want that until the Leader plans on it." His blue eyes looked around. Noboru turned. "Maybe so, but I'm not leaving yet."

He jumped to ground level and ran pass many civilians before running into someone. "Ow!" the woman exclaimed. Noboru looked at the woman. She looked much older than him. Her brown hair was tied into a low ponytail and her brown eyes stared at him, filled with surprise. "Do I know you?" she asked.

Noboru got up, but the woman grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Tell me who you are before I report you to the ANBU!" she yelled. A woman with white eyes ran toward them. "Tenten! Wait up!" Noboru looked at her. 'Mother…' He glared.

Daichi stopped. "Noboru! Let's get the hell out of here!" he yelled. Tenten's eyes widened in shock as tears filled her eyes. Her grip on his wrist loosened. "Noboru?" She smiled. Noboru stood there, shocked. Daichi jumped down. "Noboru, we have to get out of here!" he practically screamed. He grabbed Noboru's arm and dragged him towards the southern wall.

A nearby ANBU quickly called for back up after seeing Daichi take out Hinata, Sasuke, and Neji. Of course, now the ANBU were working for Orochimaru. Orochimaru wouldn't allow two powerful ninjas to leave Konoha. "They're heading towards the southern wall, away from the gate."

At the southern wall, Noboru and Daichi were met by 5 ANBU. "You're not going anywhere," one cold voice said. Daichi grimaced. Noboru chuckled. "We can't leave this place, Daichi." Daichi looked at him. "What?" The ANBU folded their arms. "You're coming willingly?" the same voice asked.

Noboru laughed. "Hell no." He raised his hand. Chakra surrounded it. "Dai-Juuken!" he yelled, holding his hand towards them as bursts of chakra struck them in their chests. Daichi slapped his forehead as the ANBU fell back, their masks flying off. "You killed five ANBU. I still think you shouldn't have named that technique. You're horrible at that." He chuckled.

"How the heck did you do that?" a voice exclaimed. Noboru turned around to see Yoshi. "You're a Hyuuga, but I've never seen that!" she said. Noboru gulped. "Back off, Yoshi!" he yelled. Yoshi raised a brow. "How do you know my name?" she asked. Kozakura and Ginama stood behind her. "He must be another stalker."

Noboru glared. "Shut up, Kozakura. You grew into a bitch." He slapped a hand over his mouth. "Damnit." Kozakura glared, activating her Sharingan. "Excuse me, Hyuuga?" Noboru bit his lip, his white eyes looking at each of them. "Hold them off, Daichi."

He jumped back and ran. Daichi smiled. "So…how are you ladies doing?" he asked. Yoshi clenched her fists. "BASTARD!" she yelled. Kozakura put Yoshi's fist down, her Sharingan disappearing. "Don't waist chakra on him, just kick his ass."

Ginama coughed. "Shouldn't have told her." Yoshi walked toward Daichi, grinning.

Noboru sat on a bench in a deserted street. Daichi was supposed to catch up! He heard footsteps and his eyes darted toward Daichi. "Finally." He looked him over. His clothes were torn and his hair was ruffled. "What happened to you?" he asked. Daichi sat down. "Hyuuga bitch…" he said. Noboru chuckled. "You never can beat a Hyuuga."Daichi fell down. Noboru raised a brow. "Hey, we need to get back to the base. If we don't, we're dead."

"You're already dead," a chilling voice said. Noboru froze. The person whispered in his ear, "I leave for a few hours and you've got ANBU, two clans, and even women after you." Daichi quickly stood up. "Anri?"


	9. Learning More FINALLY! AN UPDATE!

Anri punched Noboru, her golden eyes lit with fury. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LAY LOW! NOT SHOW YOURSELF TO THE ENTIRE VILLAGE!" she yelled. She sighed. "Just start training. We attack in three days. I expect you to help Konoha in any way you can." She glared at Noboru as he stood up. "I have nothing to gain by helping Konoha. We could come to an agreement, but I doubt you could do anything to change my mind."

Daichi looked at the two and decided to walk away. Who wanted to listen to these two argue anyways? He sighed. "This reminds me of something. Although, I don't know what." He ran a hand through his blonde hair and kept walking, hoping to get away before Noboru asked for his help.

"CHANGE YOUR MIND?" Anri screamed. Noboru cringed. "Not so loud." Anri shook her head. "You've got Orochimaru after you now. You're as good as dead." She glared even harder. "You've got ANBU searching all over for you." She slammed her fist into a nearby wall, causing blood to pour from her knuckles. "YOU MORON!" she yelled.

She turned to face him and walked toward him, inches from his face. "You _will_ help Konoha. No matter what it takes, you will." Her golden eyes scanned his white eyes. He gave a slight smirk. "So, you'd do anything?" he asked. Anri scanned his eyes, finding what he meant. She looked away. "Anything," she whispered.

Noboru made her face him. "Fine." He didn't smirk. He didn't do anything but trace every detail of her face. Anri turned and started to walk off. "Follow me. There's something you'll need." Noboru slowly followed until they were in front of Anri's house. Anri motioned for him to stay there and ran upstairs. She returned, holding something.

"What's that?" Noboru asked. Anri smiled and held it up. "Thought you might want a flash of the past." Noboru looked at it, seeing his headband from when he was twelve. So many years had passed. He gently took it back. "I'm no longer a Konoha shinobi." Anri scowled. "Shut up! You ARE a Konoha shinobi if you fight for the village's freedom! You can leave right after, but for now, you're a member of Konoha."

She turned around. "Let's go find everyone else. You need to catch up with them." Noboru shook his head. "Are you INSANE? I've revealed myself to too many people! I can't!" he yelled. Anri locked her eyes with his. "What are you hiding? What's so awful that you can't bear to face the past?" She clasped her hands on his shoulders, not once blinking.

Noboru shut his eyes. "Open your eyes or I'll make you," Anri's voice hissed. Noboru slowly opened his eyes, and pain struck his head. An invisible hand clawed through his thoughts, scraping hard against his mind. He tried to close his eyes, but he couldn't. He was trapped.

Images flashed before Anri. She caught sight of the Sharingan. She saw a man wearing a strange mask with swirls on it. She saw another annoyed-looking, blonde-haired man. Another image flashed and she saw the man standing next to Daichi, blood soaking his hands. Daichi looked scared as the man reached for his throat.

More images continued to flash before her, until she caught sight of other people. All wore the same cloak. A strange, black cloak with red clouds. She let go of Noboru's shoulders and backed away. Noboru fell to his knees, holding his throbbing head. Anri slammed her foot against his head, slamming his head into the ground. He tried to stand up, but a cold metal was pressed against his throat, threatening to slice his head off. "You don't deserve my trust. To think you would betray us for Akatsuki. You're lower than dirt. Lower than that, actually."

"This is why I wanted to leave." Anri pressed the kunai harder against his throat, causing a trickle of blood to run onto the kunai. She leaned toward his ear. "I could kill you now, but what's the fun in that?" she whispered. Noboru glared. "If you kill me, who will help Konoha?" Anri smirked. "The sad thing is, now I might kill you either way. You have a better chance at living if you help us." Her hate-filled golden eyes flashed with an emotion she had been hiding. Worry. Worry for him? Or worry for something else? Noboru sighed. "Just refrain from using any technique that will kill you." Anri grinned. "I'll promise that, but I won't promise that I won't kill you." Noboru took the opportunity to pin her against a wall. "Just like you thought you could kill me in the Chuunin Exams?" He smirked.

Anri glared. "I was a little girl. I didn't want to hurt a comrade. But I've changed. A lot more than you think. I've killed countless people. I no longer feel sympathy." She knocked him away. She pulled the kunai toward her mouth and ran her tongue over it, cleaning the kunai of blood. A smirk crossed her face. "After this is all over, I won't hesitate. Just like I didn't hesitate when killing Father."

……………………………

Daichi stared at the clay spider in front of him. He tossed it toward a man and it clung to him. 'Bang.' The bomb exploded, sending blood splattering against the walls of the alley. "Moron. Who wouldn't notice a bomb?" A chuckled was heard. "You, yeah." Daichi's eyes widened. "Shi-" The bomb exploded, tearing into Daichi's arm and ripping off half of his face. "Damnit, Deidara! It took me weeks to recover from the last one."

Deidara glared. "Where's Noboru? What's taking you two so long, yeah?" Tobi walked past Daichi, holding a stick. He poked the dead man's body and it twitched. "Ack! HE'S ALLLLIIIIVVVVVEEEE!!!!" Daichi snorted. "Get that 'thing' away from me, Deidara." Deidara shook his head. "I've been trying to get rid of him for years. Trust me, it never works." Daichi glared. "Why are you here anyways? A bastard like you should stay away from me." Deidara glared back. "Is that any way to speak to family, yeah?"

Daichi chuckled. "When was the last time we acted like brothers, Deidara?" he hissed. Blood dripped from his face as more of his arm cracked off, showing his skin to be clay. "At this rate, I'll be a walking skeleton." Deidara walked toward him. "I think you listened to Sasori too much. One of these days, an enemy will learn your weakness and kill you. Just like him, yeah," he hissed. Daichi shrugged. "I won't care if I die. I might die in a few days anyways." Deidara grabbed his shoulders. "What are you talking about? In a few days, we'll be at the base, yeah!"

Daichi shook his head. "I'll be a bloody corpse that helps out Konoha." Deidara dug his nails into his brother's shoulders, drawing blood. "You bastard. Betraying Akatsuki, yeah." Daichi smiled. "Well, Akatsuki never said we couldn't help Konoha. Anyways, I'll capture the Rokudaime afterwards. I've got everything planned out."

Deidara smirked inwardly. 'He's a goner, yeah.' He nodded. "Just get away from me. You smell like a bloody corpse, yeah." Daichi disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Hopefully he'll get killed, yeah."

…………………

Anri sat down in her house, holding her head in her hands. Could everything go back to normal, or would nothing ever be the same? Noboru would return to Akatsuki, and she'd be alone again. Once Orochimaru was defeated, Samaru would marry Tami and take Tani with him. Alone. The word struck like a knife. She could stay with Akito, but eventually he'd marry Yoshi and go on with his life. Kaminari and Akana had been staying with Akito, since Anri thought it was best they rest up. How can you rest in a house with a little kid pulling your tail and an angry Uchiha shouting curses?

Samaru was gone. Staying at Tami's house for the night. Tani had gone with him. She stared up at the ceiling. The house seemed so…empty. "Boring night, huh?" a voice asked. She turned around. "Yeah," she said, smiling. "It's lonely out here. Away from most of Konoha…the only neighbors we have are Sakura and Sasuke." Noboru nodded and sat down next to her. He made her face him and kissed her gently. Anri pulled back. "I won't go with you." Noboru nodded. "That's a chance I'll take." She smiled again. "I'm still going to kill you." Noboru smiled. "We'll see." Anri kissed him. This would be a night to remember.

……………………

A/N-MUWHAHAHA! No lemons! Lemons bad for story!

Ok, I'll stop. Thanks to everyone who's been patient! I've been trying to update this story!

EE


	10. The Start of the Battle

Anri groaned as she pulled the covers tighter around her bare chest. She turned over to face the other side of the bed. No one. She sighed as she stood up and quickly got dressed. She walked downstairs and looked around. She quickly made enough tea for three cups and placed them on the table, carefully sipping hers. The door opened and Tani and Samaru walked in. Samaru looked tired, while Tani looked hyper as ever.

Samaru sat down across from Anri and grabbed a cup of tea. She smiled. "Great night, _Dear_?" she asked mockingly. Samaru glared. "What were you up to?" he asked. She shrugged. "Taking care of unfinished business." Samaru nodded. "Two days," he whispered. Anri looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah."

Tani sat down and grabbed a cup of tea and eagerly sipped hers, ignoring her scorched tongue. "Two days till what?" she asked excitedly. Anri smiled. "You get to stay with Grandma!" she said cheerfully. Tani grinned. "How long?" Anri looked at Samaru. "A while," he said, running a hand through his crimson-red hair.

Tani continued grinning. She frowned and asked, "Wait, where are you two going?" she asked. Anri put a hand on the child's arm. "We're going on a mission." Tani nodded. "When will you be home?" Samaru gripped his cup tighter and looked at Anri. Anri sighed. "We don't know." Samaru mouthed, "We might not come back," to Anri and she nodded sadly.

Anri stood up and walked toward the door. She opened it and went outside. She sat on a bench. A bird landed on her shoulder. She saw a message attached to its feet:

_New strategy. Attack at dawn. They know._

Anri scribbled a reply and tied it back to the bird's foot. "Tomorrow," she whispered. "What about Tomorrow?" Anri turned and met with white eyes. "The attack's been rescheduled. We attack tomorrow. At dawn." Noboru whistled. "Damnit." Daichi walked up behind him, molding clay around his arm's bone. "I'll finish my arm by then."

He quickly finished and placed a hand over the arm. "This is the difficult part." He clutched his arm and slowly the clay turned to flesh and blood ran through it. The veins reattached and nerves ran through it again. "And they said nerve cells couldn't be repaired," he said, smirking. "I'm set," he whispered, moving his fingers. The mouth opened up in his hand. 'Ready.'

Anri opened the door and called out, "Drop Tani off at Sakura's. Then meet me at the Hyuuga mansion." A simple 'hn' was the only reply as she turned and walked toward the mansion. "Damnit. Follow me!" she called back, walking swiftly toward the Hyuuga manor. Noboru and Daichi hesitated, but slowly followed.

…………………….

Loud sobs rang out through the manor. Noboru found tons of shinobi staring at him as his mom latched onto him and sobbed. Neji just smiled. "Welcome back," he said, giving them an icy glare. "They're going to help us. You can kill them afterwards," Akito said softly. Neji frowned. "I don't want to kill my son." Akito nodded.

"Whatever you say." Neji walked toward Noboru. Noboru glared. "Neji." Neji frowned. "Wouldn't you rather call me-" Noboru kept glaring. "You never admitted you were my father. Neji is your name," he hissed. Daichi looked toward his hands. 'Deidara.' He looked out the window. 'Will be watching us.' He narrowed his eyes.

Anri walked toward Akito and stopped in front of him. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You smell like Hyuuga." Anri frowned. "Funny, I took a shower before I got here. Maybe it's that new shampoo I'm using," she said, winking. Akito glared. "A bitch for a cousin," he muttered, She chuckled. "So, fill me in on the plans, _Cousin_."

Akito sighed. "This may take a while." He began explaining the plans as Noboru tried to distance himself from the others, getting long apologies and falsely forgiving people. Daichi kept his gaze out toward the window, catching the glint of metal in a nearby tree.

…………………….

Anri quickly walked toward the Hokage tower. _'You're the only one that can enter without being caught.' Akito had said. _She opened the door and walked up endless flights of stairs. She stopped at the door and slammed it open. Orochimaru looked up. He grinned. "How nice of you to join us. I was just about to go looking for you," Orochimaru said. Anri made a slight bow, her expression unreadable. Orochimaru's grin faded. "You know of their attack, right? I expect you to do your part in helping me win." Anri nodded. 'Daichi, hurry up,' she thought desperately.

……………………

Daichi stood on the Hokage Tower's roof. He set down an easel and a canvas board. ANBU guards were everywhere around the tower. Noboru appeared behind him. "I got it." He held out a small jar, filled with blood. Each ANBU had been cut, but they didn't know what had happened.

Daichi nodded and grabbed the jar. He dipped a paintbrush and started painting. After a few minutes, he finished. It was a picture of an ANBU's head, blood leaking out of it. The head looked freshly cut. The veins were evident around the part that had been cut.

Daichi looked at the jar. Empty. He stood up and formed a seal. 'Deidara. You said it couldn't be done. That only mother could do such a thing.' He closed his eyes as he focused his chakra to his hand. 'You were wrong.' He pressed his hand against the still wet painting and the image disappeared.

Noboru looked over the tower's side to see all of the ANBU decapitated. "Nice job." Daichi nodded.

………………………

Anri looked out the window in time to see the ANBU fall. An explosion was heard and Orochimaru stood up and rushed to look out the window. He had no time to look before he was shoved against the glass and it was shattered. Anri stood at the window, a smile etched across her face. Orochimaru's tongue grabbed her arm and pulled her down with him, sending them both toppling to the stone ground below.

……………………

A/N-Short chapter. All I'm gonna say.


	11. Going Out With A Bang

Anri landed with a 'thud' on the stone ground, shards of glass slicing into her skin. She rolled onto her back and groaned in pain. She slowly stood up, glass shards falling from her bloody body. She glared at Orochimaru, who pulled a shard out of his chest and dropped it on the ground. "Nice try," he said.

Anri coughed, blood running down her chin. "Bastard." She moved her hands to form a seal, but he appeared behind her, pressing a kunai against her neck. She clutched a bloody glass shard in her hand. She dropped it and kicked it away. It was quickly picked up by Daichi as he dropped from the roof. "Orochimaru."

Orochimaru looked at him. "Who are you?" he demanded. Daichi glared. "Telling you my name would be a waste of time." Anri slowly melted into mud. Orochimaru cursed as a kunai drove through his stomach. "Remember what happened to Azami when she crossed me, Anri." Anri grinned. "I'll never forget," she said, placing a hand on her cursed seal.

Anri jumped back, leaving the kunai pierced in Orochimaru's stomach. She formed a few seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" 3 powerful jaws clamped onto Orochimaru's shoulder and legs. He tried to move, but the beasts were too heavy. "Akana. Kaminari. Akamaru," Anri called out.

………………………

"JUUKEN!" Neji quickly took out two shinobi. "Too many," he said, panting. Tenten tossed five kunai toward five different ninjas. Each one hit and killed the shinobi instantly. "Yeah." Noboru quickly took out three shinobi. "Well, we'll eventally get SOMEWHERE!" he yelled over the clashing of metal. He dived into a bush and waited until he found an unsuspecting ninja. He took out a kunai.

"FUUTON: RASEN SHURIKEN!" a voice yelled. Debris and dust filled the air, but it cleared. Three ninjas were dead. A ninja stood in the center of them. "Hyuuga Noboru. Looks like you're back." Akito stood behind the ninja, smirking. "Got him out of jail." Another ninja quickly took out another ninja by kicking him once in the back. Noboru studied both of them. "Rokudaime, Uzumaki Naruto. Lee-sensei."

……………

Daichi clutched the bloody glass. "Orochimaru." Orochimaru raised a brow. "You should be more careful about who's hands your blood falls into." With his foot, he quickly drew a seal in the ground. "Especially my hands." A drop of blood landed in the center of the seal. Daichi raised his hand up in a seal. The three dogs jumped away from Orochimaru just as his arm exploded.

Daichi frowned. "Next time, I'll get your head." He grabbed a kunai and threw it. Orochimaru caught it and glared. "You'll pay for that, kid." Daichi laughed. "A kid, am I? A kid couldn't kill you, Bastard." A kunai hit his face and he ripped it out, causing his skin to crumble off. He grabbed appeared behind Anri and held a kunai up to her neck. "Do that again and your only heir will die."

Anri stared. "What the hell are you?" she yelled. Daichi grinned. "Shut up. If you live, you can ask your boyfriend. If you don't, you'll never know." Orochimaru laughed. "If she dies, I don't have a problem with it. I've already achieved immortality. I need nothing else. Anri chose her path. It led to this."

Anri bit her lip. 'Nothing left but a few tricks. I'll make them last.' She closed her eyes. "Would either of you really kill me." Orochimaru grinned. "Of course. I killed my daughter. You'll be no problem." Snakes came out of his sleeve and rushed toward Anri. Daichi jumped out of the way, holding on to Anri. Anri looked toward her dogs, but they weren't there. 'Daichi…you reversed the summoning.'

Daichi grinned, more of his skin crumbling off as he carried her up to the rooftop. "I always have a back-up plan. So, if I die…do me a favor." Anri looked at him. "What?" Daichi chuckled. "Don't let Noboru leave Konoha." Anri stared. "What are you going to do?" she asked quietly. Daichi moved his head to the side to look at her with the skull half of his face. "Nothing that should concern you. We both want to avenge someone. But I'll avenge myself."

Anri stared. "What has Orochimaru EVER done to you?" Daichi glared. "I guess I'll tell you. When Orochimaru tried to become immortal, he made several failed experiments. I am one of them. But, he succeeded in making me immortal. The effects took years. But, every immortal has a weakness."

………………

Noboru felt like his back was snapping in half. "Lee…let…go…" Lee let go finally. "Noboru, we're so glad you're back!" he exclaimed. Naruto glared. "No, we're not." Naoto ran toward them. "The sound ninjas retreated! We only have to deal with the ANBU!" he exclaimed. Naruto smiled. "They'll listen to me once Orochimaru's gone. I'll deal with him." Noboru looked toward the tower. "Don't. Daichi's got a score to settle."

…………………

Orochimaru climbed up onto the rooftop just as Daichi stopped talking. He threw a kunai, which hit Daichi in his spine. Daichi slowly turned his head. "Orochimaru, you have a bad memory." Orochimaru laughed. "I think I remember you." Daich glared. "You'll learn the hard way…that immortality comes with a price."

Orochimaru's tongue rushed toward Daichi. He grabbed it and pulled Orochimaru toward him. He grabbed Orochimaru's shoulders and pulled him toward the edge of the rooftop as the last bit of his face crumbled off. "See you in Hell, Orochimaru." He pulled him off the roof with him, locked in an aerial dive. "My flesh is made of the explosive clay. I came here with a curse that will go out with a bang." He held on to Orochimaru with one hand and held up the other. An explosion was heard throughout Konoha.

……………………

"Are you crazy?" Anri shouted at Daichi as he walked toward the edge, but she was sure he had ignored her. "Wait! This won't work!" It was too late as Daichi jumped off the building with Orochimaru. The explosion was heard and tears stung her eyes. Suicide.

…………………………

Noboru stared in shock as his Akatsuki partner exploded along with Orochimaru. "DAICHI!" he yelled, running toward the area.


	12. Goodbye, Daichi

A/N-This is mostly about a few pieces of Daichi's past. I'm not letting him stay in the rest of the story. His part in this story ends in this chapter. I don't like mystery characters for too long, so this will shed a LOT of light on Daichi's past.

Noboru looked around the site of the explosion. Anri stood next to him as they stared at the remains. As the smoke cleared, they spotted a figure coming toward them. "Daichi?" The smoke cleared, revealing Orochimaru. He grinned. But he fell to his knees as a sharp pain hit his head, and then he fell face-first onto the concrete ground. Daichi stood over him, holding a kunai. His skin had crumbled off and his clothes were torn. "Looks like my plan didn't work out."

Noboru smiled. "You had us worried." Anri glared. "What's there to be smiling about? Daichi looks DEAD!" she yelled. Daichi ran a hand through his blonde hair, which was still intact, but matted with blood. "I've had worse."

………………………

"DAMNIT!" Deidara cursed, slamming his fist against a tree. "Looks like we'll still have to kill him, yeah." Tobi shrugged. "What's with you two? Why can't you get along? You're brothers!" Deidara glared. "He wants to die, so I'm just doing my job as a brother and helping him out, yeah," he said with a grin. Tobi shook his head. "Let's go."

…………………………

Daichi looked around the area. He turned his attention to his hands, which had managed to stay on when the explosion occurred. ANBU surrounded him. Noboru had the same problem. Daichi chuckled. "This is what it comes down to. I can say I had more to do in this lifetime. A list, actually. But it all ends here. Me with most of my flesh ripped off, and surrounded by ANBU. Didn't you all just see Orochimaru die? I did you a favor. Anyways, I don't want to fight anyone who can't kill me." An ANBU stabbed his back and he gasped.

"That was rude," Daichi said quietly, his usually annoying behavior disappearing. "I think it's about time I leave." He sighed as an ANBU walked toward him. "Is it not obvious. You can torture me, but get nothing. You can attack me, but I won't die."

An ANBU grabbed a katana and stabbed him in the stomach. Daichi moved his head to the side, earning a loud 'crack'. "You all are called experts. So this is what Konoha is now."

FLASHBACK

Deidara grabbed his little 12-year-old brother and shook him. "Where have you been, yeah? The entire village has been looking for you!" he yelled. Tears streamed out of Daichi's eyes as he looked up, revealing his crumbling face. "Deidara…what's wrong with me?" he asked in a weak voice. Deidara stared and looked around quickly. "We have to get home, yeah."

FLASHBACK

Daichi sighed. "I'm not supposed to be in the bingo book. What the hell did I do?" he hissed. Samaru pushed aside an ANBU member to look Daichi in the eye. "Assassinations." Daichi glared. "Assassinations of people that thought I was a monster because of this. Because I'm immortal, I'm a monster." He laughed. "Just to see the looks in people's eyes when they see me like this…it's a thrill. It's the only excitement I know of."

FLASHBACK

A fifteen-year-old Daichi walked down the street. The silence was interrupted by a scream. Anzu, his best friend. He turned and ran toward the scream. He Anzu was pinned against a wall by a man who held a kunai up to her throat. "Shut up…" the man whispered, drawing blood from the girl's neck. Daichi walked toward them, his eyes flashing with anger.

The man turned toward him. He quickly threw the kunai at Daichi's throat, and it hit. "Daichi!" Anzu screamed as he fell to his knees. He reached toward the kunai and yanked it out of his throat, causing skin to crumble. The man stared. "What the hell are you?" he yelled. Daichi laughed, blood streaming down his neck. "I'd tell you if I knew. I'll just tell you what I was told when I was eleven." He appeared in front of the man and stabbed him in the chest. "A failed experiment." The man fell to his knees.

Anzu stood against the wall, shocked. "Daichi…your face…it's crumbling off again…" Daichi reached a hand to his face and looked at the blood and crumbling clay on his hand. "Let's go." He started to walk off, Anzu walking behind him. Suddenly, she laughed. Daichi turned around. "What's so funny?" he asked. Anzu smiled. "You had me worried. I thought he had actually killed you! Don't scare me like that!" She gave him a playful shove and he stared. "Has a kunai to the throat ever killed me?" he asked with a grin.

FLASHBACK

Daichi watched an ANBU approach Orochimaru's body. "He's still alive." The ANBU took out a kunai. He shoved it into Orochimaru's neck. "All we have to do is wait for ANBU from Iwagakure to take this missing-nin. They want to deal with his death sentence." He turned his head. "Orochimaru contacted Iwagakure the first day he learned Daichi was in the village. But, now we have orders from the Hokage to kill you." He walked toward him but stopped when a voice called out, "We told you we had it covered. Sheesh, Konoha shinobi are hasty."

"Daichi," another voice whispered. Daichi turned, his frown slightly shifting to a small smile. A ninja with the Iwagakure headband stood behind him. She had long, reddish blonde hair and brown eyes. She wore an ANBU uniform similar to the Konoha ones. She tilted her head to the side. "I never wanted to have to bring you back, but orders are orders." Daichi stood up. "You won't. We both know that, Anzu." Anzu frowned. "I'll give you two options, one is we do this the easy way or the hard way. The other is a secret."

Daichi walked closer to her. She stared, emotionless. ANBU stood to his sides and behind him. He looked from side to side. "I thought ANBU were supposed to go for the target and not protect their teammates." Anzu smiled. "You've missed a lot, Daichi." Suddenly, Daichi appeared behind Anzu, held a kunai to her throat, and pulled her closer to him. "Take one more step and she dies." Anzu leaned back on his shoulder, whispering. "You don't have the heart to kill me." Daichi chuckled. "That may be true, but are you willing to leave everything behind?" His voice was cold, with a hint of fear.

Anzu closed her eyes. "I was born with nothing, and when I had something, he hid from me. Maybe I'll die with that resurfacing." She moved closer against him and he dropped the kunai, forming a seal and vanishing, taking Anzu with him.

Noboru's eyes widened. He had lost one of the only friends he had. Had Daichi ever been a friend? Noboru had considered friendship, but Daichi had coldly made a remark about it.

FLASHBACK

"Friendship? Don't be so naïve. Friendship is merely an illusion, just like love. The only time it isn't an illusion is when you complete your goals. Don't ever say you're my friend. Ever. I only have one friend. I left that friend. I'll never see her again," Daichi remarked coldly. "What did Konoha teach you? In Akatsuki, you have nothing except goals. Nothing, understand?" he yelled, turning away.

FLASHBACK

Naruto walked toward the group of ANBU, some still shocked at Anzu and Daichi's vanishing. "Let Noboru go. He has something to deal with." The ANBU ran off, going to search for any sound-nin that had gotten away. The Iwa ANBU ran off to search for Anzu and Daichi.

Noboru bit his lip as the Hokage approached him. He started to form a seal, but Naruto grabbed his right hand and glared. "It's been years since you left," he hissed.

As the two stared harshly at ach other, Orochimaru grabbed a kunai. With his last ounce of strength, he flung it at Naruto. A smirk spread across his face as he collapsed on the ground. Noboru's eyes widened and he quickly pushed Naruto out of the way, the kunai piercing his stomach. He fell to the ground. Each breath became harder and harder as life faded from him. He heard voices call out; then everything went dark.

EE-No, this will not be the end. I've got a few more chapters after this. But, seeing as there are few/no reviews for my previous chapters, I can't be sure if anyone is still reading this. Review if you want any more chapters…I only know of one person who still reads them.


	13. Acceptance?

Noboru woke up to two pairs of eyes staring down at him. He tried to sit up, but a searing pain knocked him back. "Sleeping beauty finally awakens!" a voice said. Noboru turned to the voice and his eyes met with a pair of blue eyes. "Daichi?" he asked. His eyes focused harder and he frowned. "Naoto." Naoto grinned. "Yup."

Noboru sighed as he looked around the room, hoping to meet with golden eyes. He saw Lee, Naruto, and Hinata. No one else. He struggled to sit up, but a hand roughly knocked him down. "Ungrateful to what took me so long to do," Hinata said sharply, her gaze piercing. "Lie down or you'll open up the wound."

A laugh was heard on the other side of the door, followed by three different voices.

"It's over now!" said a voice cheerfully.

"It's never over, Tami. Someone will eventually get us for what happened," a cold voice replied.

"Lighten up, Samaru," a voice said harshly.

"You're one to talk, Anri," Samaru snapped.

The door slammed open and two, dark green eyes glared at everyone. "The record of my marriage has been destroyed, along with other ones, Naruto," Samaru stated. Naruto gave a slight nod. Noboru sat up, ignoring Hinata's yelling. He slowly stood up, pain shooting through him with each movement.

"Sit down, or I'll make that wound worse," Anri said, glaring. "You're lucky you lived. Thank Hinata for bothering to help." She turned and walked away. "As soon as you heal, Naruto said he'd let you leave. No one wants you here now."

Noboru sat back down. But he smiled. "Everyone leave me, please." Everyone exchanged glances. They slowly filed out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Noboru slowly got up and opened a window. He jumped out, landing on his feet. The hard ground sent jolts of pain up his legs. He winced and forced himself to run across the Hyuuga compound. Pain wracked his body, but he didn't stop. Blood poured from his wound, soaking through the bandages.

Someone caught him as he started to fall over from exhaustion. "You idiot! You made me have to save you! Now I have blood all over me." He looked up at Anri and grinned. "That got your attention." Anri glared and dropped him. He stood up and connected his gaze with Anri's icy glare. He leaned in to kiss her, but she blocked him.

"You're leaving soon. Tami and I will see you off in two days. We know you want to leave. But, as soon as you leave Konoha gates, other villages are ready to hunt you down. We can't take pleasure for capturing and killing you, so we're letting you go." She turned away. "You always were so foolish. Thinking you could beat me. Thinking you had knocked me out that day." She turned back. "I let you leave. I thought it would be ok. Instead, I lived for years as a slave, just like everyone else you left."

She sighed. "I was one of the few girls that escaped severe assaults. The men gave in, but the women fought. In return, they were beaten and…" She stopped herself. "Anyways, Konoha villagers tried to kill me, hoping to slow Orochimaru's assaults and end his bloodline. Sound ninjas protected me. I thought they were heroes then. They treated me kindly. Until…Kabuto set his sights on me. I escaped his assaults, and word got to Orochimaru of his attempts. Sound ninja started ignoring me, setting sights on Kabuto and trying to treat me like every other woman. I was one of the few that hid from them. One of the last rebellious villagers."

She glared. "I wish you would go through the same fear. The same torture…every day I prayed for your suffering, but at the same time missed you. I no longer know what to think of you. You came back for me, but I won't leave. I'll stay a ninja of Konoha until I die." Her words were sharp and choked. Tears welled up as she turned and swiftly moved toward the Hokage tower.

Noboru grabbed her arm. "I didn't get a chance to speak," he growled. Anri shook her head. "Let go!" she yelled, breaking free. She ran toward the tower, tears falling freely. Noboru stood still, getting dizzy from blood loss. "I won't leave, Anri. Never again." Anri turned. "Oh really? How can I trust you?" she shouted harshly.

Noboru looked at the headband around Anri's waist and walked toward her. He snatched it. He studied it, and noticed a bit of the black cloth had been ripped off. He shrugged. "You stole this from me," he said with a smirk. Anri just watched. Noboru tied the forehead-protector around his head and grinned. "Will they let me stay?" Anri gave a small smile. "If you promise to do better."

A pair of blue eyes watched them from a distance. The person ran a hand down his bloody, torn face and turned around. In one hand, he clutched an Iwagakure forehead protector. In the other hand, he held onto a small piece of black cloth. "Looks like you'll have a happy ending, my friend."

………………

Ok, this is not the last chapter. I'm writing one more chapter, but it will be short. This is not a trilogy, so don't think the next chapter signifies a third story. It will be a glimpse in time. A happy ending….whoop.


	14. The End?

A girl laughed as she ran across the training grounds that her father was chasing her across. Her black hair was tied in a low ponytail and her eyes were white with a hint of pale yellow. "Can't catch me!" she yelled gleefully. The girl had just turned fourteen. She laughed and ran into the woods that surrounded the area, losing sight of her father. She was childish for her age, but then again it wasn't easy being the great-granddaughter of Orochimaru.

She had never known Orochimaru, but she had heard of the person that killed him. The person had disappeared a long time ago. Her father, of course, had once been in Akatsuki…but she knew nothing of Akatsuki. She felt shielded. These were just few things that she pried from villagers.

She sat down, exhausted. She laughed, but a hand was placed over her mouth. She struggled against it, but a voice told her to be quiet. She grabbed a kunai and sliced a cut across the hands, bursting veins. The hand pulled back. The girl stood up and glared, clutching the kunai. A boy about her age stood in front of her. He had blonde-red hair and blue eyes.

He winced in pain. "What the fuck was that for?" he yelled. The girl lowered the kunai. "What were you doing?" she shot back. The boy closed his eyes. "I thought you'd noticed me. Konoha hates me." The girl frowned. "Why?" she asked. He just shook his head. "It's nothing."

The boy held out his other hand. "Daijiro." The girl looked warily at the hand. She grasped it. "Ami. Hyuuga Ami." The boy nodded, then looked at his hand. Ami grabbed his wrist. "It's bleeding bad. You're losing a lot of blood." She ripped off a piece of cloth from the sleeve of her shirt and wrapped it around the wound. She gasped and pulled back as skin cracked off.

Daijiro laughed. "It's a…condition my father had," he said, but Ami knew he was lying. She sat down on a stone. "Who is your father?" Daijiro ignored her question. "He said he'd meet me here, but he hasn't arrived."

Ami looked up. "Really…" A call rang out. "AMI! GET OVER HERE!" her mother's voice rang out. Ami was about to run off, but Daijiro grabbed her arm. "Why do you have Inuzuka clan marks?" he asked. Ami bit her lip. "My mom was an Inuzuka." She tried to walk away, but Daijiro wouldn't let go. "I have to get back. Please let go," she pleaded.

"Who the hell did you find this time?" a bitter voice asked. A man with blonde hair and blue eyes jumped down. Ami gasped. The man's face was bleeding and the skin had been ripped off. He held a bloody kunai.

Daijiro let go of Ami, but she was frozen in her spot. "No one important, Father. Just some Hyuuga girl." The man was in front of Ami in an instant. "A Hyuuga, you say? What's with the Inuzuka clan marks?" he asked suspiciously. Daijiro bit his lip. "She says her mom was an Inuzuka."

The man chuckled. "Good. They're alive.' He opened his other hand to reveal a clay spider. He threw It at a nearby tree and an explosion rang out. "Noboru. Anri."

"AMI!" a frantic scream rang out. The man faced the voice. A figure tackled the man to the ground. Another figure grabbed Daijiro and slammed him against a tree. The figure on the man turned toward Ami. "You alright?" Ami nodded. "Yes, Mother." The woman turned to look down at the man below her. She gasped. "Daichi?" she whispered.

She quickly stood up and helped Daichi up. "Don't do that Anri. My skin's cracking off as it is." The other person looked over. "Who's the kid, Daichi." Daichi yawned. "My son. Daijiro. Looks like you should keep this girl locked up, Noboru." Noboru faced Ami. "Go home. Now." Ami sighed, giving one last smile to Daijiro before running off.

Daichi turned to his son, but the boy was gone. The three old friends looked at each other and laughed. "New beginnings. Never an end, I'd say," Noboru said. Anri nodded. Daichi turned toward a part of the forest. "I better go soon. But it's good to see old friends." He smiled, holding up a piece of worn, black cloth. "Notice this missing, Noboru?"


End file.
